I believe you still incur some cap penalty if you trade him .... I dont think you have an option to cut Ninja , restructuring is a much better option.

Yes, there will be a $3.5M cap hit, but you still save $6M you can use to get other players. If Rick Smith/Greg Olsen can work their magic & get Urlacher & Winston for that $6M, would it be worth it if we also picked up a 2nd or a high Third in the trade?

I think Antonio finally started earning his keep in the last two years. Back to back career years for him. Excellent production from a 3-4 DE, you couldn't ask for more, unless you've got Jj Watt playing like a 4-3 DE in a 3-4.

But this is about tomorrow, the 2013 season. I have no doubt the Ninja will put out his best effort. If Jj continues to do what he do, Antonio will probably have another very productive season. I'm not advocating that we cut him. A restructure would make more sense; it frees up some money & you'll have him locked up for the next 3-4 years, where I think our window is.

But just saying, a 2nd (or high 3rd), plus two veteran players for Antonio, it's tempting.

Yes, there will be a $3.5M cap hit, but you still save $6M you can use to get other players. If Rick Smith/Greg Olsen can work their magic & get Urlacher & Winston for that $6M, would it be worth it if we also picked up a 2nd or a high Third in the trade?

I think Antonio finally started earning his keep in the last two years. Back to back career years for him. Excellent production from a 3-4 DE, you couldn't ask for more, unless you've got Jj Watt playing like a 4-3 DE in a 3-4.

But this is about tomorrow, the 2013 season. I have no doubt the Ninja will put out his best effort. If Jj continues to do what he do, Antonio will probably have another very productive season. I'm not advocating that we cut him. A restructure would make more sense; it frees up some money & you'll have him locked up for the next 3-4 years, where I think our window is.

But just saying, a 2nd (or high 3rd), plus two veteran players for Antonio, it's tempting.

My solution is to keep Antonio and maybe drafting this guy who can play both the NG and DE . The question is when do you draft him . I would go with a WR in the 1st and wouldn't trade up for him either , so that's about a 15% chance he'll be there .

I have no doubt the Ninja will put out his best effort. If Jj continues to do what he do, Antonio will probably have another very productive season. I'm not advocating that we cut him. A restructure would make more sense; it frees up some money & you'll have him locked up for the next 3-4 years, where I think our window is.

I just want to point out the difference between a restructured contract and an extension. A restructure is taking an existing contract, and manuevering the $$$ around to alter the cap hit in that year. That's what they did with Smith in 2011 when the Texans created cap space to sign Joseph and Manning. An extension is replacing an existing contract with a longer term deal, while still being liable for whatever bonus allocation remains on the existing contract.

Smith is in the final year of his contract. So the only restructuring that could take place would be if he were to accept a salary reduction for his current $6 million. Fat chance. An extension would allow the Texans to reduce Smith's $6 million salary, and replace it with a larger signing bonus that could be amortized over the length of the new contract.

What would it take for Smith to sign an extension in 2013? He's currently looking at $6 million in salary. A bonus of $7.5 million in a 3 year deal, would give Antonio a $2.44 million raise ($7.5 million bonus + $940k vet minimum - ($6 million salary)). It would reduce the 2013 cap hit on Smith by a little more than $2.5 million. Which might be enough space for the Texans to fill a couple holes with low end vet contracts.

Extending Smith would be a tough call, because it would make him a tough cut in 2014. The question is, what are the Texans willing to do to win in 2013? Really, I don't see a lot of alternatives.

Counting on Crick and Mitchell to play the NT the whole season?! Yikes! Good luck stopping the run up the middle. Texans absolutely need to find someone better than these two either through the FA or draft.

I just want to point out the difference between a restructured contract and an extension. A restructure is taking an existing contract, and manuevering the $$$ around to alter the cap hit in that year. That's what they did with Smith in 2011 when the Texans created cap space to sign Joseph and Manning. An extension is replacing an existing contract with a longer term deal, while still being liable for whatever bonus allocation remains on the existing contract.

Smith is in the final year of his contract. So the only restructuring that could take place would be if he were to accept a salary reduction for his current $6 million. Fat chance. An extension would allow the Texans to reduce Smith's $6 million salary, and replace it with a larger signing bonus that could be amortized over the length of the new contract.

What would it take for Smith to sign an extension in 2013? He's currently looking at $6 million in salary. A bonus of $7.5 million in a 3 year deal, would give Antonio a $2.44 million raise ($7.5 million bonus + $940k vet minimum - ($6 million salary)). It would reduce the 2013 cap hit on Smith by a little more than $2.5 million. Which might be enough space for the Texans to fill a couple holes with low end vet contracts.

Extending Smith would be a tough call, because it would make him a tough cut in 2014. The question is, what are the Texans willing to do to win in 2013? Really, I don't see a lot of alternatives.

Good point. Then I wouldn't mind extending him. I don't see him being cut in 2014.

collie is definitely worth a look . . . teams will shy away because of the concussions, but the way the game is played today, they can't hit him anymore anyway . . . he's cleared to play and wants to play . . . could be a steal even on a 1 yr deal.

Counting on Crick and Mitchell to play the NT the whole season?! Yikes! Good luck stopping the run up the middle. Texans absolutely need to find someone better than these two either through the FA or draft.

i believe they can find a solid rotation player to platoon with mitchell w/ 1 of our 3rd's . . . crick should stay in the de rotation.